Do you remember how Laura Palmer died? How about Mr. Hooper of Sesame Street?

Sound a little macabre? Well, yeah … but it’s also part of our pop culture. Take THIS QUIZ at Mental Floss and see if you can remember how 12 television characters were offed on screen.

Personally, I thought the quiz was on the easy side but that’s because I was raised by the small screen. TV was my babysitter. Hell, it was my cloth monkey and I clung to it like Titanic debris in the chilly North Atlantic. And losing most of these characters was like losing members of my own family (more memorable in some cases).

What’s the most pressing military issue? The surge? Protecting the homefront? PTSD?

Howzabout making sure our buildings don’t look like Nazi symbols of hate? Yeah, that’s a priority. Click HERE for a gander at the Navy’s most impressive eyesore: a barracks that looks like a Swastika! Yep. So embarrassing is this structure that the Navy’s gonna spend over a half million of your tax dollars to redesign or disguise the damnable digs.

Gee, you’d think if the Navy has withstood the likes of Ernest Borgnine and the Village People without breaking a sweat, then a little Hitlerific architecture would be nothing!

What happened to Mama Smurf? Surely she existed. There’s a Papa Smurf, so ergo …

My theory is that she died in childbirth. I mean, she crapped out about a jillion blue kids – that’d be enough to kill anyone. All those Smurf babies, man, that’s not even a litter – that’s a whole freakin’ dump!

Hi there!Welcome to the season premiere of THE FLEHMEN RESPONSE!It’s a special two-hour season debut, complete with special effects, action-packed plot, guest-star cameos and the obligatory trip to France a la Facts of Life.It all starts out when this jewel thief slips his ill-gotten goods into my backpack during a pilates class.Of course, I don’t know what’s going on and there’s this whole ’round-the-world chase, kind of a It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World meets Gotcha!Lots of fun.

But don’t tune out after the season opener, no sir!This season’s gonna be one small screen extravaganza after another.There’s the dream episode in which I compete on Rock of Love, the all-singing-all-dancing musical episode choreographed by Paula Abdul and the “very special” episode where I lose my virginity to my boyfriend Tucker who’s home from college on fall break.

A few changes of note though: veteran character actor Fyvush Finkel appears this season as my eccentric Grandpa Bert, replacing the departing Robert Guillaume.The late George Peppard makes a return engagement as my dad but he’s no longer in the CIA – he now runs a bed & breakfast in Myrtle Beach.Ken Berry does several guest spots as my imaginary friend “Mr. Jams” and Annie Potts shows up in a recurring role as my strict but loveable piano teacher Susie Belle.Unfortunately, due to contractual snafus, Rosie Perez does not return as my sister Lucinda, so she’ll be written out early in the season by saying she’s “off at chiropractic school.”And, fingers crossed, we’re still hoping to talk Charisma Carpenter into coming back as the unnamed girl next door who likes to sunbathe topless (there was still a story arc there that was never adequately wrapped up, as far as I’m concerned).

All in all, I’m looking forward to the new season. Heck, it’s not easy putting out this yummy muffin o’ fun called THE FLEHMEN RESPONSE but it sure is worth it.Our Nielsens more than testify to that.

A wild, wonderful, wacky world of web whimsy.From unique and useful archival information to creative and artistic fiction and video, the dubya dubya dubya is a portal for the everyman to access the universe as we know it, warts and all.But has technology gone too far?

Driving to a movie a while back, I heard a radio promo for an NPR show on fertility science.A throwaway line used to tout the piece mentioned a fact about our online outlet that I did not know.Maybe you did.Check this out:

Now, really, understand that I am not out to make fun of the impotent or the infertile, but I must point out that if you are so desperate to make a baby you are willing to purchase semen over the Internet then maybe you aren’t cut out to be a parent.

At the very least, maybe you should seriously consider adoption! Or a goldfish.

Well, ABC kicks off another season of The Bachelor this week.Sigh.Bitter?Hell yes!That could have been me fighting for the affections of dozens of lovely young women with low self esteem and daddy issues.Maybe it’s how I presented myself.You be the judge.Here’s my application for TheBachelor.

Name:Sparky Tiberius MacMillanAddress:Somewhere in the TriangleHome #:unlistedWork #:unlistedCell #:unlistedPager #:unlistedFax #:listed, but I forgetE-mail:SparkyTFR@aol.comBirthdate:8-11-73Age:Duh. You figure it out, EinsteinHeight: 6’2”Weight:175, soaking wetHair Color:TaupeEye Color:Freakishly GreenHow did you hear about our search: I was surfing the Web looking for some halfway decent por – um, portfolio additions, and I happened upon your site.Are you currently:Working Full Time:YesUnemployed:YesWorking Part Time:YesStudent:YesOccupation:Free SpiritAnnual Salary:A million or so. CentsWhat is your highest level of education? I have a Masters degree. In science!School(s) Attended:Kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, high school & universityAre you a legal resident of the United States?OuiHave you ever been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime of any type?Convicted? No.Have you ever been arrested, charged or convicted with a violent offense?Abso-bloody-lutely not!Have you ever had a temporary restraining order issued against you?YesIf so, please give details and dates:I’m not proud of it but there was this incident in 1995 when I believed that I was married to Mira Sorvino and I spent a month living in her pantry.Have you ever filed for bankruptcy or chapter 11?Not yet.Have you ever been a performer, participant or contestant on television, radio or in film?I was seen on “When Animals Attack” being savagely mauled by an angry dik dik.Have you ever been married?YesIf so, how many times?Once per woman.Have you ever been divorced?YesIf so, for how long?PermanentlyDo you have any children?None that I acknowledgeAre you genuinely looking to get married?You betcha!Why would you want to try to find your spouse on our TV show?Equally Yoked laughed me out of the office.How many serious relationships have you been in?Seventy-sevenWhat happened to end those relationships?The husband came home.Where did you grow up?Most people agree I haven’t yet.What are your hobbies?Kicking butt and chewing gum. And I’m all outta gum.What is a unique talent you are most proud of?The ability to please a woman by simply exiting the room.List the 3 adjectives that best describe you:Single. White. Female.What accomplishment are you most proud of?Finishing that damn sudoku.Why would you be a great husband?I’m just a love machine. And I won’t work for nobody but you.Why are you America’s Most Eligible Bachelor?Because I’m willing to degrade myself on national TV by setting the institution of marriage back 500 years.

If you’re a fan of The Office (NBC version), you’re no doubt familiar with Creed. At first, little more than a background character, Creed has evolved into an office oddball, alternating between freaky and creepy.

Played to perfection by former Grass Roots member, Creed Bratton, Creed is offbeat, misguided, cantankerous, spiteful, amoral and hilarious. And if, like me, you crave more Creed action, you are in luck: Creed has a blog!

Have you “ever” seen quotation marks where “quotation marks” shouldn’t be? The unnecessary and “egregious” use of quotation marks is a “plague” upon our land. Posters, signs, menus, “what have you” – these are all littered with a punctuation misuse so devastatingly “subtle” that it often goes “overlooked” by the common peruse monkey.